Product description

Celebrating 15 years of the bestselling Giraffes Can't Dance with a new edition with fantastic foiled cover! Gerald the tall giraffe would love to join in with the other animals at the Jungle Dance, but everyone knows that giraffes can't dance ...or can they? This funny, touching and triumphant story about a giraffe who finds his own tune has been a much-loved family favourite for over 15 years.

Author information

Giles Andreae is the author of many top selling award-winning picture books. For Orchard, these include Rumble in the Jungle, Commotion in the Ocean, and I Love My Mummy. However, it is for the international bestseller Giraffes Can't Dance that he is best known. Giles is also the creator of Purple Ronnie, Britain's favourite stickman, and of the artist/philosopher, Edward Monkton. These two ranges of greetings cards, books and merchandise have made Giles the country's top selling living poet and an icon of contemporary popular culture. Giles lives with his wife, Victoria, a children's clothes designer, and their four young children by the river in Oxfordshire. Guy Parker-Rees exuberant and energetic illustrations have made him a household name and one of today's bestselling children's illustrators. Notable successes include Giraffes Can't Dance - written by Giles Andreae, a worldwide besteller, and Richard & Judy children's book choice, Spookyrumpus, winner of the Sheffield, Dundee and Portsmouth book awards, and the highly acclaimed All Afloat on Noah's Boat. Guy lives in Brighton with his wife and three sons.

Both my kids (18 months and 3 months) really enjoy being read this book. My eldest loves pointing out the different animals and my 3 month old seems to enjoy the colourful illustrations. My kids may be too young to understand and appreciate the message of the book but I know they will when they get a bit older. Recommended.

Giraffes Can't Dance engages kids with the rithmic text and colorful illustrations. It is a great book for kids to pick up rhyming words and have some fun making up their own words. The story of Gerald has good moral to it of not to judge others and finding your own individuality. Giles Andraea manage to once again create a story that is educational, fun and a definate buy.

my 1 1/2 year old son loves this book, however, his favourite part isnt the story or the giraffe but instead the cricket that plays the violin. He's hidden on every page and the fun for my son was finding him.... it provided months of entertainment for him!!

Review quote

An inspiration. Church Times A wonderful, light-hearted story. Bournemouth Daily Echo A hit with young children since it was first published 10 years ago Daily Express A can-do story with lively pictures and an immensely pleasing text. Times Educational Supplement Brilliant use of colour, a continual sense of movement and high good humour all help to make this picture book richly enjoyable. Carousel A gloriously colourful and lively book with a strong message. Sunderland Echo Superb...a wonderfully funny book. The Independent Extraordinary and exuberant...a terrific tale and a positive message about celebrating difference. Bournemouth Echo This rhyming poem is excellent. The Bookseller Managed to capture the hearts of countless children. A modern classic. Baby & Me A fantastically funny and wonderfully colourful romp The Daily Telegraph A lovely rhyming picture book about understanding differences motherandbaby.co.uk Lovely Lytham St Annes Express This is a lovely story that incorporates several dance forms including waltz, tango, Scottish reel amd rock n roll. I have also used the story to introduce infant classes to Beethoven's Moonlight Sonata and had them playing along with it SAME Magazine a joyful read about an outsider who finds acceptance on his own terms... there's also a simple moral about tolerance and daring to be different. Junior This delightful picture book is written in lively rhyming text with vivacious illustrations. Junior A rhyming story with superb illustrations... wonderfully funny. Independent Witty match of rollicking rhyme and bold colour. Guardian A fantastically funny and wonderfully colourful romp of a picture book. All toddlers should grow up reading this or hearing their parents read it aloud to them. Daily Telegraph

Editorial reviews

Andreae's ode to a different drummer stumbles when it preaches about uncovering your own beat, but is ferried along by enough sweet verse and Parker-Rees's dazzling colors that it almost pulls its own weight. Gerald the giraffe's legs are too spindly for dancing; they are always buckling at the knees when it comes to the old soft-shoe. And while all the other creatures show some mean moves at the Jungle Dance ("The chimps all did a cha-cha / with a very Latin feel, / and eight baboons then teamed up / for a special Scottish reel"), poor Gerald is hooted off the dance floor before he even has a chance to crumple. As he shuffles homeward, and as he stops to admire the moon, a cricket suggests that "you just need a different song." So, to the sound of the wind in the trees, Gerald starts to move: a gentle swaying, some circling, and some swishing. Suddenly he commences to belt out Olympic-quality gymnastic moves-"Then he did a backward somersault / and leapt up in the air"-that blows the other animals away. But probably not readers, even the youngest of whom will want to know just why Gerald's legs didn't buckle this time, special music or not. Bad enough that in a story about rhythm, the verse doesn't always scan-but must Gerald strike the Travolta pose? Gerald doesn't find himself; he simply learns how to mimic. "(Picture book. 3-5)" (Kirkus Reviews)